Related Articles

Surfing one of the best dating sites can be a great thing if you know how to use it. Unfortunately, because of some powerful negative experiences or just an overactive imagination, there’s still a noteworthy stigma around the whole online dating world. We’re not saying there aren’t creeps out there (both male and female), but the whole scene is much less risky than most people think. Just to clear things up a bit, these are some of the best dating sites that are meant to bring together people from every race, color, religion or sexual orientation.

Just like there’s someone for everyone, there’s a website for each and every one of you. Maybe you’re looking for a casual, one-night stand or maybe you want to find someone to spend the rest of your life with.

Here are the best dating sites right now:

OkCupid.com

No doubt one of the best dating sites out there, OkCupid’s proudest feature is its matchmaking algorithm. It basically works like this: when you register, you answer questions about your personality, what you are looking for and what you want from life. These are then used to calculate the percentage of compatibility with other users. In addition, you also get to choose how important the matter in question is for you and what answer would be ideal from a partner. The more questions you answer, the more accurate the matching will be.

Another thing about OkCupid is that it’s free, which might be considered an advantage by some, but a disadvantage by others who would like the site to be more selective with its users. It also has a dating app that works extremely well, for those who spend more time on their mobile devices. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for a serious relationship or just a fling, you will definitely find someone there.

Plenty of Fish

Also free, POF is a nice combo of an easy-to-use dating website and a more complex matching algorithm. It’s based on mutual likes: the more likes you add to your profile, the more accurate and intelligent the matchmaking will be. Like any other dating service, the more time you take to complete your profile and add likes, the more accurate the compatibility will be.

Plenty of Fish also incorporates a speed dating feature called MeetMe, which selects users in your area that you have mutual likes with. There are many variables you can sort users by, but the most effective and appreciated quality of this dating site is its simiplicity. It also offers free mobile apps.

eHarmony

Definitely one of the most complex websites on the internet, eHarmony takes great pride in the great number of marriages it’s responsible for: 4% of the US weddings are thanks to them. It’s based on a personality test that you fill in when you create your account, which then uses to match you with other users. It also provides a few sections where you can talk (or, better said, type) freely about certain topics. this entry to our list of best dating sites has a huge userbase and their matching is one of the most reliable: it’s a close second to OkCupid’s, in our opinion.

Unlike OkCupid, however, eHarmony is intended to bring together people who are looking for a long-term relationship. Although not available for free, it’s easy to use and offers a whole lot of features you can’t really put a price on.

Zoosk

Zoosk claims they have a special algorithm which makes it very different from other dating sites. Instead of trying to find a match based on what you like or dislike and the answers you gave, they went another way. Their recommendations are based on what you search or click on their site, finding similar things to those.

They even said the most important thing to them is pairing users with others whom they are more prone to finding attractive. It’s not about long-term relationships, but about giving users as many options as they can. While there are many people out there who would mind this point of view and would tend to avoid Zoosk, the truth is, it’s one of the biggest and best dating sites out there so they must be doing something right.

Now, let’s go through a few tips on how to stay safe while online dating:

Take a completely new, different set of photos for your online dating profile. They can be looked up with Google’s Reverse Image Search.

Make sure you choose a site that thoroughly verifies its users. The best dating sites do that, but if you’re going to wander into some of the little-known dating websites, you should be very careful.

Refrain from sharing too much information about yourself. Your favorite pizza topping or your birthplace might be okay, but be careful who you talk to about your place of work or the college you’re going to.

Pick a person close to you and set up a safety system while on the date. Tell them where you’re going and message them once in a while (not too often, that would be rude) and set up an approximate time the date would take. Also, make sure they know everything you know about the person you’re about to meet.

Before you jump into online dating, don’t forget that the online world is, after all, a dangerous place. If you’re being cautious and selective regarding the people you chat or meet with and you set the dates in public and crowded areas, you should be fine.

And for those of you who used or are using a dating website at the moment, please share your experiences and feedback about the best dating sites, in your opinion.